Braised Chicken Thighs Recipe
Fall-off-the-bone tender and flavorful braised chicken thighs provide an economical one-pot meal for the family. Elegant, cheap, and easy- who could ask for more?
You already know that chicken thighs are my go-to when I want cheap and easy for dinner. Plus, I always have a stash in the freezer because we stock up when they go on sale.
What I love about braising is that it’s mostly hands-off, with the oven or stove doing all the work. While searing the chicken and sautéing the aromatics add more flavor, just throwing everything in a Dutch oven works great when good enough is good enough to get dinner on the table.
What Braising Does for Chicken Thighs
Braising is a simple, low-temperature, high-moisture cooking technique that results in fall-off-the-bone, juicy meat. Certain cuts of beef, pork, lamb, and chicken have more connective tissue and higher fat content than other cuts that are tender with just a quick sear.
But the liquid these thighs simmer into tender juiciness in isn’t just tasteless water. Broth, wine, and your choice of spices will enhance that mouthwatering goodness.
How to Braise Chicken Thighs
- Season the chicken thighs and sear them.
- Sauté the aromatics, then add the tomatoes and liquids.
- Add the vegetables, return the chicken to the pan, cover it, and braise it in the oven or simmer until the chicken and carrots are tender.
Recipe Twists
- Add extra vegetables: green beans, asparagus, mushrooms, and corn on the cob all work well here. For a truly one-pot meal, add chopped potatoes or yams.
- Pouring in a little heavy cream close to the end of the braising process will create a decadent cream sauce.
Make-Ahead and Leftover Makeovers
Make this the day before and reheat it in the oven for an easy weeknight meal. It will last in the fridge for 3-4 days or the freezer for 4-5 months.
Divide leftovers into portion-size packages, and freeze them for a quick emergency dinner for your future self.
Leftover chicken and vegetables make for a great chicken soup. Remove the chicken from the bone (save them for stock), chop the vegetables a little finer, add rice and a little more broth, and simmer until the rice is done.
What Goes With Braised Chicken Thighs
My two top faves are jasmine rice and garlic mashed potatoes because they benefit from the fantastic broth. Parmesan-crusted asparagus is an excellent side. And for dessert, I highly recommend peach cobbler.
More Charming Chicken Recipes to Try
Watch How to Make It
This blog post was originally published in October 2013 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.
Braised Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon (6g) salt
- 1 teaspoon (3g) white pepper
- ½ teaspoon (2g) garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon (2g) onion powder
- ½ teaspoon (2g) paprika
- 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 2½ pounds)
- 2 tablespoons (30g) olive oil
- 2 tablespoons (28g) butter
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon (1g) minced thyme
- 1 cup (240g) diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon (3g) bouillon powder
- ½ cup (120g) dry white wine
- 1¾ cups (420g) chicken broth
- 3 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
- 3 stalks celery, cut into ½-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
- 2 tablespoons (8g) minced parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉ (180℃).
- In a small bowl, mix the salt, white pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika.
- Pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel and then season thoroughly with the spice mix.
- Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large oven-proof cast iron skillet or Dutch oven. Brown the chicken thighs in the hot oil, turning to brown on all sides. Remove and set aside.
- Add the butter to the pan. Once it melts, add the diced onions, minced garlic, and thyme, and sauté for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant.
- Next, stir in the diced tomatoes and bouillon powder, and simmer for another 5-6 minutes.
- Gradually pour in the wine and chicken broth. Stir, scraping off the flavorful browned bits from the bottom of the pan, and bring it all to a boil.
- Add the carrots and celery, cook for about a minute, and adjust seasonings to taste.
- Next, return the browned chicken thighs to the pan, cover with a lid, and place it in the oven.
- Let the chicken braise in the oven for 40 minutes to 1½ hours, or until tender and the internal temperature reaches 175ºF (80ºC). You can remove the lid in the last five minutes and broil the chicken for a nice brown color.
- Take it out of the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes.
- Garnish the chicken with parsley, and serve it with your favorite veggies, mashed potatoes, or rice.
Tips & Notes:
- Try to buy chicken thighs that are pretty uniform in size so they cook evenly.
- If you love lots of brothy sauce, make sure the broth comes about halfway up the chicken thighs when you add the chicken back to the pan. Add a little more chicken stock if needed. Just keep the skin out of the saucy goodness so it can crisp up.
- A meat thermometer ensures your chicken cooks completely. While breasts are done at 165ºF (75ºC), legs and thighs are forgiving and best at least 175ºF (80ºC).
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
This was really good. I modified a bit with bl/sl thighs bc that’s what I had on hand, and just did a stovetop braise bc I didn’t need crispy skin. I was worried it would be bland bc most of the seasoning was just on the chicken, but it absolutely was delicious.
Hi Adrienne! So glad you enjoyed it! Using boneless, skinless thighs and stovetop braising sounds like a great adaptation—happy it turned out so flavorful!
This recipe is incredible. The thighs came out flavorful and tender. Thanks:)
Quick question. What happened to the saucy chicken and vegetable recipe?
Sorry, I updated the recipe to something very similar. But here is the beloved original. Thanks so much for loving my recipes:)
2½-3 pounds chicken legs and thighs
2 teaspoons salt plus more to taste
1 small onion
2 teaspoon minced garlic
1-2 teaspoons thyme or rosemary
1 tablespoon paprika
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2-3 Roma tomatoes or 14-5 0z canned tomatoes
1 tablespoon bouillon powder
2 pounds vegetables (zucchini, carrots, etc.)
1 green pepper, sliced
¾-1 pound red or new potatoes
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Trim chicken of excess fat and pat dry with a cloth or paper napkin. Rub with lemon, salt, and pepper.
Combine the rosemary, tomatoes, ½ of the onion, Maggi/bouillon, garlic, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper in a food processor or blender. Pulse for about 30 seconds until blended.
Drench the chicken with tomato sauce, and refrigerate for two or more hours, preferably overnight.
Slice vegetables into large chunks and place in a 9×13 baking pan with the green pepper and remaining onion.
When ready to bake, place the chicken and sauce on the bed of vegetables and potatoes. Sprinkle with parsley.
Bake uncovered for 60-90 minutes until chicken is tender, occasionally basting the chicken with sauce from the dish.
What temperature do you set the oven for
Thanks for catching that. Preheat your oven to 350℉/177℃, ready.❤️
How could I do this recipe with chicken breast? I’m thinking about bone in chicken breast and boneless. Bake longer or shorter?
Boneless chicken breast cooks a lot faster than thighs and legs. I would cover and roast the veggies with the sauce for an hour, then uncover it and add the chicken breasts and roast it uncovered for about 30 minutes longer (20-30 minutes depending on the size of the breast). You might want to start checking the chicken’s internal temperature at around 20 minutes if it’s smaller.
Great recipe!
I played with it a little upon cooking it for a second time. I wanted more sauce. Third time around I’m trying some more spices.
Thanks again.
Where does the green pepper come into play?
You add with the vegetables before placing in the oven
I love your chicken dishes…..i tried creamy chicken over the holidays…wow it was a winner ….
That’s so terrific to hear Georgina! Thank you for letting me know!
Hi Imma all the way from San Antonio TX!! I just made this dish last night (first dish on my list) and I must admit I was a little skeptical since I’m learning to cook with different spices and flavor. OMG, it was a huge hit even with the 5 year old! I’m so sold and will be trying the other recipes!
Awesome Nikki! Glad the recipe went well and more important it was a hit with the little one. Have a kid too and know how picky they can be. Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with us.
Very Good, Imma!! Made it a few nights ago and family loved it! I was short on time so I didn’t get to marinate the chicken but it was still delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
My confidence is broken! You tell one person to heat the oven to 350 degrees and you tell another one it should be 375 degrees! Maybe I should try it at 400 degrees?
Honestly, you can roast chicken anywhere between 325-400℉ with good results. Sometimes it just depends on your preference, mood, or how much time you have. Please try it at 400℉ and let me know how it turns out.
This was so good…will DEFINITELY be making it again….paired it up with basmati rice…yummm…
Glad you liked it Philo
I’m making this tomorrow… Can’t wait
Ummm forgot a pretty important step… What temp is this baked at?
375 degrees F. Thanks Tami
Do you think this would still taste good with skinless chicken? Looks yummy and easy!
Les,it would taste good, however, it will be less moist.
This looks yummy .Which of the can tomatoes will be best for this recipe as there are several types. Is tomato sauce fine or diced tomatoes ?
kelsey, I used hunt’s diced tomatoes or the Costco diced tomatoes , yes you can use tomato sauce . However, fresh ripe roma tomatoes is the best in my opinion, if you have any .